Was it that Unexpected?
by Jodie.Anne.Weasley
Summary: The battle of Hogwarts is over, the wizarding world has been left in pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts to finish their 7th year and try to learn what it is like to be a normal teenager.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe

The Burrow was in a flurry, trying to get ready to leave for platform 9 3/4. It seemed it did not matter what time we got up in the morning, because there was always the same last-minute rush in order to get to the train in time. I was aware of the fact that I was a guest in this house, no matter my connections to Ron, and so I was ready to go almost an hour before we were due to leave. I knew the boys would be struggling and so I made my way to Ron's room to check up on them.

"Harry, Ron, I'm coming in." I announced myself. There had been too many times in the past where unannounced visits had been left in embarrassment.

"Come in 'Mione." Ron grumbled. That wasn't a good sign.

Pushing open the door, I was met with the sight of clothes strewn everywhere, Ron had only half of his uniform on and so sign of Harry.

"Where is Harry?" I looked to Ron who was desperately searching through his trunk.

"Right here." I looked towards where I heard Harry's voice and found him crawling out from underneath his bed, brandishing a sock triumphantly.

"You guys look like you need some help. Ron what are you looking for?" I started gathering up some clothes.

"My charms book." He grunted.

"Okay, well, have you forgotten that you are a wizard?" He gave me a sour look.

"Just Accio it." I sighed. A look of realisation crossed his face and he stood up, wielding his wand like a sword.

Realising that my presence was no longer needed, I left to go back and wait downstairs. Those boys, for trouble makers, seemed to need a lot of reminding that they were now old enough to use magic outside of school. Shaking my head, I saw Ginny levitating her trunk downstairs.

This is going to be a magical year. With the defeat of Voldemort behind us, we can move on and finish our education as the teenagers we are supposed to be and not war-hardened heroes. Ginny would be joining us in seventh year, which meant that last years sixth and seventh years would be combined to make a larger than normal graduating class. It was going to be a struggle, knowing that they are gaps in our ranks that were the result of the war but we will all have each other to lean on.

Ginny smiled softly at me as if what I was thinking was written right across my face.

"Chin up 'Mione. They bought us the rest of our lives. We can repay them by living it."

"When did you get so wise, Gin?" I asked, rhetorically.

A look crossed her face that answered my question.

Sounds from the stairs above us broke us out of our reverie. Harry and Ron had finished their packing quickly with the aid of magic and were now rushing down the stairs in the only way teenage boys can.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, as we said our goodbyes and apparated to Hogsmeade directly, as per the directions of our new Headmistress.

Looking up at the school, that was once a second home but now also a reminder of bad memories, you could barely tell that half of it had been destroyed only a few months ago. The professors and many of the surviving British wizarding population had chipped in to rebuild it to its former glory. Harry, Ron and Ginny had also helped with the repairs, while I had spent the summer pouring over the tombs from the school library. I was helping members of the wizarding history preservation team, making copies of all the texts so as thousands of years' worth of information would not be lost if something tragic happened to the library in the future. That threat was all to present last year. I felt particular sadness at this and made it a personal goal in the future to help the wizarding world go digital. There was potential to do amazing things with technology and magic combining.

My thoughts had taken the walk up to the castle, ascending the stairs a little behind Ron, Harry and Gin. We made a beeline through to the Headmistress' office. Stopping at the gargoyle, Harry gave the password (ginger newt) and we soon stood in her office. We weren't the only ones called in early apparently.

In the room already stood Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus and Hannah Abbott. Looking around, I found Professor McGonagall sitting behind her desk. I couldn't help but notice the differences between the office now and when I had last seen it. Gone were all the strange trinkets that dotted about the room. Now all the walls were lined with books and in the main room stood comfy couches surrounding a small table with tartan tins covering the surface. Further up was the Professor's desk and behind that, the pensive.

Smiling I joined the others in greeting our friends.

"It seems that we are only waiting on three more people." Professor McGonagall said, looking up from the papers in her hands. Standing she continued.

"Take a seat and help yourselves." She gestured to the tartan tins, once opened, were filled with ginger newts.

Less than a minute later, the door to the office opened again. The person who walked through was the last person I expected to see. Harry and Ron must have thought the same, swiftly standing up and whipping their wands out to face the newest addition to the room.

"Malfoy, the gall of you to show your face here again." Ron spoke savagely. Harry stood stoically beside him.

"Messers Potter and Weasley. Put yours wands away immediately." McGonagall scolded.

In those moments, two other people had followed Malfoy into the room; Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. All three looked nervously around the room, seeming smaller than I had ever seen them.

"Now that you three are here, I can address why I've called you here." Professor McGonagall said, suggesting there was no room for arguments.

"I regret to say this year is probably not going to be as easy as you had imagined. With all of you as pinnacle people in the war, there are going to be a lot of people watching you. Which is why I need to ask you to set an example to the rest of our population here at Hogwarts as to how we are to mend and progress. There is no use returning to our previous prejudices." She paused to send pointed glances in Harry, Ron, Malfoy and Blaise's directions. "This is my one warning to you, I will not tolerate it. Moving on, there will be no heads or prefects this year. The other members of staff and I thought it would be best to leave one year for you to recover and have some semblance of no responsibility before you are thrown into the world waiting outside these walls." She paused again waiting for the complaints.

I couldn't help but agree with her. We all had so much on our shoulders over our childhood, specifically over the last year, that having a breather would be best for everyone.

I could feel all eyes on me, as I thought.

"What?" I asked, looking around.

"C'mon 'Mione? You seriously don't have anything to say about that? You've been after Head Girl since first year?" Ginny said from my side.

"Yes, but I agree with Professor McGonagall." I said, smiling softly at her. Professor McGonagall gave me a small smile as well.

"To continue, that does not mean that I don't still expect exceptional behaviour. Now we didn't have quite enough room for all of you back in your old dorms with the double sized seventh year. We expanded the dorms as much as we could but we still didn't have enough room. We decided that you twelve could be trusted to be put in a separate dorm together. We're still not sure we have enough room in the dorms, so you may find that you end up with more roommates later this evening." She levelled us with a glare that dared anyone to say anything against her rooming arrangements.

"Well I best show you to your new dorm. Leave your luggage here, I'll get the elves to bring it later." She swiftly walked out of the room. We all looked at each other before scrambling to keep up with her.

On the fourth floor, she stopped in front of a blank section of wall. She turned to us.

"There weren't a lot of painting prepared to be the keeper of you lot so we found a way around it. The door will only open to an incantation. Quite a simple one really. Hermione perhaps you can demonstrate." She looked at me knowing I wouldn't back down.

"Step up, point your wand at the wall and say ianua revelio. It simply means reveal the door." She almost smirked.

I pulled in a breath.

"Ianua revelio"

An ornate wooden door bloomed from the tip of my wand outwards. Pushing it open, I found a room almost identical to the Gryffindor common room. There were large windows lining one wall, letting in the late afternoon light. A fireplace sat in one corner surrounded by comfy chairs and couches. Dotting around the rest of the room were small tables with chairs, for studying I suppose. It was a mass of different colours, an eclectic collection of different furnishings making it feel lived in and cosy. Everyone else stayed silent waiting for instructions from our Headmistress.

"This is the east tower. At the moment there are enough rooms that each of you have your own rooms, but as I previously said, if we need to move more older students in, that will change. Dinner will be at the usual time, I expect you all to be there." She levelled us with a look that would make even the best of us tremble. "In saying that, take the time to get settled back in and loosen up before classes start tomorrow." She swept out of the room without a backwards glance.

The room was silent. I didn't want to look away from the door McGonagall had left through, knowing the awkwardness and possible fight that was going to break out. I let out an almost silent sigh, my knuckles clenching anxiously, slowly turning to face my peers. Everyone was gathered in a haphazard circle. Ron looked murderous. Harry stood to his side looking anxious, though I couldn't tell whether it was more about Malfoy or Ron. Neville, Luna and Hannah stood together, Luna dreamily looking around the room with her spectrospecs on, Neville and Hannah flicking their eyes nervously back and forth between the Slytherins and Ron. Dean and Seamus stood to the side, tense, ready to spring if a fight broke out. And lastly, Malfoy stood opposite Ron and Harry, closely flanked by Blaise and Pansy. He looked almost handsome without the ever present smirk or sneer gracing his features.

"WINKY!" Ginny suddenly shouted from my side, making me shriek and the rest of the room jump. Everyone's heads turned in her direction, mouths open or eyebrows raised.

With a pop, Winky appeared in the room.

"Y-y-you called, miss?" She was still nervous but not the wreck she had been in our fourth year.

"Yes, could you please get us 12 butterbeers?" Ginny said, moving to sit at one of the larger tables in the room.

"Of course, young miss." With a pop she was gone.

"What are you all staring at? Come sit down. We aren't going to get anywhere staring each other down all afternoon." She said, sighing. She flicked her wand casually as she spoke. No-body was stupid enough to not realise it was a purposeful threat if anyone dared not do what she said.

Everybody sat down and in the next second two pops sounded around the room. Winky was back with another elf, bringing the butterbeers.

"Was there anything else Winky or Bubsy could get you, miss?" Winky shook slightly, still nervous.

"Winky, could you make sure our trunks get here safe from Headmistress McGonagall's office? I could only trust you." I said, hoping that my words would bolster her.

"Oh yes, yes! Of course Miss Granger, miss." With another pop the two elves had disappeared.

"What happened to that awful spew nonsense you were all about in our fifth year?" Malfoy questioned softly from his space slightly away from everyone. I almost spat out my butterbeer at his question.

"Um, well, I can let them be happy in what they are doing while still treating them with respect, rather than treating them as slaves and dirt under my shoes or as poor beings that need my help to be set free." I gave a small smile, "By the way it was S.P.E.W, the Society for the Preservation of Elvish Welfare, not spew." Harry and Ron laughed at my words, a little of the tension releasing from the room. Even Malfoy smiled. It suited his features.

"Now, lets set out ground rules and talk all this shit out, because I am not going to spend my final year caught up in petty squabbles." Ginny said, pushing her empty mug out of the way, leaning her elbows on the table.

"Agreed. I say the first rule would be to not bring up last year. Especially in arguments." An almost unnatural silence set over the room at my words. "We are not going to disrespect the dead by ignoring them, what I mean is we do not bring up each other's parts in it. McGonagall would not just let anybody come back into the school so we aren't going to judge." I could see the grateful stares from Blaise and Pansy. Malfoy was blank. "And, if we can't say anything nice, then we won't say anything at all." I gave pointed looks to the hot-headed Gryffindor boys. With my piece said, I sat back.

"Can I suggest one?" Blaise spoke up. Ginny nodded.

"Our rooms are off-limits unless invited in." Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

I quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and some ink from my satchel. I wrote a big RULES at the top and started numbering.

"What are you doing Hermione?" Hannah asked, soft as ever.

"I think it would be best if we wrote down these and all of us signed at the bottom. We could then hang it up on one of the walls as a reminder. And don't worry, I'm not going to nor have I already charmed the paper." I said, quacking writing down the first two rules. Everyone that was in Dumbledore's Army, chuckled.

"Might I make a rule?" Luna's soft voice sounded out, her eyes now facing Ginny and I. Ginny nodded again.

"I think we should write a nice note to someone else in our dorm once a week, anonymously." She smiled, her eyes sparkling in a way that reminded me of our old Headmaster.

"Um, Luna, I don't think that should be a rule. Maybe its just something we can do voluntarily." I said, picking my words carefully, so as not to offend.

"No Hermione, I think it's brilliant actually. It would help create positive relationships so we don't drive each other mad all year." Ginny said turning to look at me.

"Gin, are you mad? I agree with Hermione." Ron said.

"How about we take a vote?" Hannah said before an argument could break out between the siblings.

"All for Luna's suggestion, hands up." She said. Luna, Hannah, Neville, Ginny, Dean, Blaise, Harry and Malfoy all raised their hands. I was in shock.

"Well, Hermione, looks like you need to write that one down." Hannah giggled. Utterly baffled, I started writing on auto pilot.

"Anyone else got rules they want to add?" Ginny asked, a grin on her face. The group shook their heads.

"Okay so, we should all sign the bottom of this and if anyone comes up with others that you would like to add, we can vote on it and add it then." Ginny said with finality.

When the last person had finished signing more pop's sounded around the room. Winky and some other elves had brought their luggage.

"Miss Granger, miss, Headmistress said that you would likes it if Winky asked other elves to help to get it done quicker." She looked down, shaking and wringing one of her ears.

"She was right Winky, I like it very much. Thankyou." I smiled gently down at the small elf. She grinned before popping away with the other elves. Turning around, I found my trunk and started to take it upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

A/N: I don't have a beta so please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Like and review!

Chapter 2

The morning broke bright and early, which I was awake for. Being on the run for so long, I still haven't fully recovered. I have fitful sleeps most nights and the nights I don't, I wake up around 4am. At least it would help me for my study schedule, which I will need to create this afternoon.

Settling into a couch by the fire, I wasn't alone for long.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Harry asked wiping his eyes and sitting beside me.

"Its almost weird being back here." I replied.

"Yeah."

We sat in silence.

"I still see it all. It replays like a tape in my mind." Harry spoke softly. None of us had spoken about our time on the run.

"Me too." We could feel each other's pain. We just knew. We didn't have to explain ourselves to each other.

Slowly, but surely the sun rose. I left Harry, still sitting in contemplative silence to go and get prepared for the first day of classes. It would be an adjustment, seeing as we hadn't been in classes for over a year.

The great hall was full by the time we had got there. Neville waved us down.

"Morning guys, here are our timetables." He smiled brightly handing us the parchment.

"Morning Neville, thanks." I said. Ginny, Harry and Ron mumbled something similar.

"Ugh, double transfiguration. McGonagall is going to have my head. I doubt I can transfigure anything." Ron said, dejected.

"Cheer up Ron, at least we can ace DADA." Harry said, patting his friend on the back.

He seemed to cheer up slightly at that and dug into his food.

"What classes are you guys taking?" Neville asked, also digging into his food. That boy had a growth spurt over the summer.

"I'm taking charms, DADA, transfiguration, potions, herbology, arithmancy and ancient runes." I chipped in, taking a bite of my toast.

"What? No extra elective this year?" Ron laughed. "Harry and I are taking transfiguration, potions, charms, DADA, astronomy, muggle studies and care of magical creatures."

"Muggle studies?" Neville and I said at the same time. How didn't I know this?

"Well, the muggles do have some things pretty well sussed out. We thought it would be best to learn in case we had to hide ever again." Harry said, running his hand across the back of his neck.

The bell rang, signalling to go to our first classes of the day. We hung back a bit to avoid the bottle neck at the doors.

"Well, I'm taking charms, transfiguration, DADA, potions, care of magical creatures and double herbology." Neville said, smiling. He picked up his bag off the bench as we starting to walk out into the entrance hall.

"What do you mean double herbology?" Ginny asked.

"Professor Sprout agreed to teach me a double load of herbology, seeing as I want a career in it, maybe even be a Professor one day!" He could barely contain his excitement. "What about you Gin?"

"Charms, transfiguration, potions, DADA, herbology, astronomy and divination." She ticked each one off on her fingers.

"Why on earth are you still studying divination?" I all but sputtered. That class was a farce.

"I happen to like it, thankyou very much!" She grinned back.

"Come on guys, we are going to be late." Ron shouted down the corridor.

The days in the week passed quickly, but almost slowly as well. It had been harder to get back into a routine than I had expected and I suspect it had been the same for everyone else. Flopping myself into an arm chair by my study materials, I looked around our common room. Everyone had slowly started to claim their own section of the room, marking their territory with books, parchment, ink wells and quills. It was a mess. In all of my classes, we had been given homework with constant reminders of our N.E. . I had seen almost all of us up late, studying over texts by the firelight, scribbling notes, Winky bringing us pots of tea to keep us going.

The Saturday morning light filtered in through the windows as I turned to my desk, pulling my study schedule to me. I still hadn't gotten around to creating it with the homework we had be given. As I was ruling up the seven days in the week, I felt someone sit down beside me.

"Morning 'Mione." Ginny yawned.

"Morning. How are you feeling? You looked wrecked last night. What was it that you were writing?"

"A letter to mum." She rolled her eyes. "She made me promise that I would write her once a week. Funnily enough she didn't make Ron make any promises." She grumbled. She pushed herself up and over to the little kitchenette that had been added by the house elves so we didn't keep calling for tea and coffee. Putting on the kettle for tea, she continued.

"I think I will have to go see Madam Pomphrey for a pepper up potion. We have Quidditch tryouts today and I am absolutely drained."

"Gin, you can't possibly be thinking about playing Quidditch this year with N.E. ?" I was baffled as to how she would be able to manage it. The workload we had been given just this week was enough to give even me a headache and it was only going to get more intense as the weeks moved on.

"Of course I can. I need the exercise and fresh air, and break from studying. Besides, I have easier classes than you, I'll manage." She gave me a cheeky grin.

Harry, Ron, Dean and Seamus stepped into the common room. With muttered good mornings, I went back to filling in my study schedule. 10 minutes later, I was broken out of my reverie.

"Ron! What have you done?" I turned to look at group, at Ginny's exclamation.

The boys were sat, as if petrified, around a table with cups of coffee in front of them. Ron's was missing. I found it upside down on the floor. Putting pieces together, and seeing the brown liquid drenched papers on the table, I rushed to find something to start mopping up the mess.

"It was an accident, I swear." He said just looking at the mess.

"Merlin Ron! These are Malfoy's!" She hissed. I looked up at him, my eyes wide. He was going to be pissed.

"Why on earth would you sit at a table with Malfoy's stuff on it?" I whispered, furiously trying to clean the mess.

"I didn't know it was his. I just sat at a table!"

"Ron, for future reference, sit at the table with you own stuff on it!" I don't think I will ever be able to get through that thick head of his.

We enjoyed a few weeks, in the aftermath of Voldemort's death, happy that we had finally realised and acted upon our feelings for one another. However, I quickly found that it was no longer what I wanted. I wanted someone with ambition, someone that is proud of themselves and what they have achieved, someone who knows how to give care and respect to others. Ron is still too immature to be the man that I need. The ending of our brief relationship wasn't pretty but he seems to be okay now, and I hope that he came to the same realisation, that I wasn't right for him either.

"Ron, you have to go tell him. I don't think a scourify will work, it will take his notes off of the parchment as well as the coffee." I looked at the papers, trying to remember any spells that would remove the last thing on a piece of parchment.

"No way am I telling him. He will curse me!" He stood up, looking at me in alarm. "C'mon Hermione, you always know just the thing to fix it."

"No Ronald. You have to learn at some point. Own up to your mistakes!" I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, as the resentment I didn't know I had rose up, masked by anger.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, his voice also rising.

"You never learn! You make mistakes constantly and I am always there to clean them up. I'm sick of it and I'm not going to do it anymore. I am not your mum, I am not your maid, I am supposed to be your friend and friends don't treat each other like this." I could feel the familiar sting in my eyes before tears, blinking rapidly to get rid of them. The room around me was silent, the others standing awkwardly about, not knowing what to do.

"Merlin Hermione, all you had to do was say! But no, instead you fly off the handle screaming bloody murder. You always get way too emotional. Right, Harry?" His face red, he turned to look at him. Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"No, Ron! This is between you and Hermione, you aren't going to bring anyone else into this." Ginny said, stepping towards Harry. I gave her a grateful smile.

"Okay, new rule. No shouting matches before 9am." A voice grumbled from the stairs.

Looking over, Malfoy stood in nothing but black slacks and t-shirt.

"Sod off Malfoy." Ron grumbled, moving slightly to make sure his body was between Malfoy and the table. Malfoy sneered back.

"Malfoy, Ron has something he needs to tell you." I looked him in the eyes, probably the first time ever. I would have remembered the calm steel blue and the way that they were very pretty in the absence of the cruelty that so often graced his features in the past.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, bringing me back to the moment at hand. Malfoy turned to him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"What did you do to my things Weasel?" He spoke slowly, as if Ron wouldn't be able to understand him.

"Maybe you shouldn't leave your things out and nothing would happen to them." Ron countered, standing a little taller. It turns out Ron is taller than Malfoy, the latter didn't look perturbed though.

"Maybe you should take a little more care with other people's belongings." Malfoy's face darkened.

"Hang on, its not as bad as it sounds. A little coffee was poured on your notes, you can even still read them." Harry interjected, moving to stand to the side of both the boys.

"That's not the point, Potter," Malfoy started, his eyes not leaving Ron's. "I could care less what the Weasel did, I could probably fix anything he could do. The point is that he is always so careless. With everything. You all may be blind to it but I'm not." He looked tired, like he didn't want to be having this fight, but his pride wouldn't let him stand down.

"What did you mean by that?" I was hung on his words.

"Really Granger? I thought at least you would have been perceptive enough to see that the Weasel has no care for anyone but himself." Malfoy broke his eye contact with Ron to look at me, his arms crossing, and a little of his usual arrogance making its appearance. I noticed how sullen his face looked, dark circles under his eyes. _Even the dark side suffered loss._

"You can't judge someone you barely know. He may seem self-absorbed and careless in his actions sometimes, but really, he cares deeply about anyone he considers family or friend." I was locked in a stare down with Malfoy. I had never felt this uncomfortable in a verbal repartee with him.

"Is this just your relationship with him talking or did that end?" His eyes suddenly held a little more life in them, the smallest smirk gracing his face. It was almost as if he missed arguing with me.

"That's none of your business." I held my ground.

"Ah, so who ended it? I bet it was you. Decided you could do better?" His eyebrow rose.

"Oh shove off, Malfoy. I thought we were above petty arguments about our personal lives? Or have you lost too many brain cells to keep up with me?" I tried to keep my voice light but he was starting to get under my nerves in the way only he can.

I was vaguely aware of the common room door closing.

"Ooh, touch a nerve did I, Granger? Your love life is more entertaining than anything else I could choose to comment on."

"What's going on down here?" Blaise sleepily asked from the stairs.

"Granger was just about to tell me why she broke it off with the Weasel. Blaise's eyebrows rose with Malfoy's comment.

"I'd be interested in knowing that." Blaise turned his eyes towards me.

"Hermione doesn't have to say anything. Now Malfoy, do what you have to with my brother but don't let it be too harsh." Ginny interjected.

"Gin?" Harry looked baffled.

"Well, with his reputation, its not like he is gonna kill him or anything but Ron did ruin his notes." She shrugged.

Malfoy huffed and turned to go get himself a cup of coffee. With a flick of his wand his notes were returned to normal.

"What? What spell did you use?" I had never seen that before.

" _Redige novissimis_. Look it up, Granger." With his coffee in hand, he gathered up his notes and went to sit at a table with Blaise.

Bewildered, I looked towards Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"Where's Ron?" I hadn't seen him leave.

'When Malfoy brought up your relationship, he stormed out. He still isn't over you, Herm." Harry said softly.

"He is going to have to at some point. I'm not in love with him any more and I will only love him as much as a brother." Harry and Ginny smiled sadly at me.

Luna suddenly danced down the stairs.

"Don't forget everyone! Our kind notes are due by tomorrow." She sang pinning a piece of parchment to the notice board.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe, only my own plot line.

"I think it is time for breakfast." Harry mumbled, starting to walk to the common room door. I mumbled an agreement as Ginny and I followed him to the door.

"Do you think Ron will be there?" I hoped I could clear the air quickly. As soon as he decides one way or another how he feels, it's almost impossible to change his mind. It's one of the reasons as to why he is so loyal.

"Is that even a question. He has been complaining about being hungry since he was born." Ginny scoffed, rolling her eyes.

It was a fair walk from the seniors tower to the Great Hall, subsequently giving a lot of time for reflection. Harry and Ginny ended up a little ways ahead, leaving me in contemplative silence.

I don't know what I expected from Malfoy, but it certainly wasn't what I had just witnessed. Maybe I thought he would be his same self. Or maybe I thought that he would be far more demure and removed considering his and his family's actions in the war. But instead of either of those, he had matured into a normal functioning young adult. I suppose I never thought the cruel Malfoy I knew was ever capable of maturing, but as always, hindsight shows how obtuse my thinking can be sometimes. And Ron! What am I to think about him? Or say to him? Its not like me to rub salt in wounds, but I will if he still doesn't get the point. I will always want him in my life. Harry for that matter too. But not in the way he wants. He was one of my best friends before and can still be after but he is hanging on to some childhood delusion. We aren't the best for each other. We're volcanic. We argue to no end and disagree on almost everything and that is what makes our friendship interesting and our relationship toxic.

This whole deliberation is going to drive me crazy. I will set him straight and if he doesn't get it then, I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I will have to ignore him until he comes to terms with it.

The great hall was full and messy by the time we arrived and as usual Ron had a plate in front of him piled sky high. Harry and Ginny sat themselves next to him, as I tentatively walked up to the seat opposite him. I couldn't help but be nervous. I had gone weak at the knees every time I saw his baby blue eyes since first year. Now, they are just the baby blue eyes of my best friend.

"Ron, can we talk?" I looked directly at him. I haven't backed down in the past and I will not back down now. He heaved a sigh.

"Let's go outside." He grabbed a couple waffles before standing up and making a bee line for the doors. Struggling to keep up, I sped alongside the tables, rushing out the doors after him.

I found him standing at the bottom of the front steps. I walked ahead, indicating that we should walk and talk.

"What's going on, Ron? I thought we had this all sorted out already." I felt a little desperate, we ended things long enough ago that this should no longer be a problem. Then he snapped.

"This wasn't how things were supposed to be, Hermione!" I stopped and stared as he started to pace back and forth underneath the trees beside the lake. "We were supposed to help Harry so that he could win the war and then he and Ginny could be together and so could we. And that would be the end of it! We would be happy together forever Hermione."

"Why, Ron? Why did it have to be that way?" He stopped pacing, facing away from me, breathing hard and listening. "We aren't good for each other, we tear each other down, rather than build each other up! It was great for a while but it deteriorated. I thought you understood?" I could feel my face growing hot. He could be so dense sometimes.

"Understand what?" He whipped around to face me, his face as red as mine felt. "That I loved you and wanted a future with you in it? That you decided to throw me to the side without any reason that we couldn't sort out? That I still love you and want you in my life?" He stood close to me, his hair mussed up from balling his fists in it.

"God, Ron," I took a step closer and put my arms around him. "I still love you and want you in my life as well, but not in that way. You are always going to be my best friend but I can't love you the way you want me to." I sighed. I could feel tears start to prick at the corners of my eyes.

He took a deep breath before stepping back and sitting down on the grass. I sat next to him, not touching, looking over the lake.

"What is it then, Hermione? What is it about me that isn't good enough?" He looked away, trying to hide his face, his voice thick.

"Its not a matter of whether or not you are good enough, Ron. You are plenty good enough. You were just made for someone else, not me. The same way I was made for someone else. If we had tried to fight through it and stay together, it would have left us miserable and what would we do if we were married or had children? It is so much easier to make that decision now." He still wouldn't look at me.

"But I feel like we are made for each other and could sort out our issues, Herm." He finally looked at me, his eyes ringed in red.

"But Ron, we argue like it's the air we breathe! When two people have such fundamental differences, like we do, it means that any relationship is going to be unhealthy. Its great for our friendship, we can challenge each other to think beyond our beliefs, but a relationship needs to have the same fundamental beliefs and balance. Do you see yet?" I almost wanted to pull my hair out.

"No, I don't. I don't see what's so fundamentally different between us, Hermione. And I don't know if I ever will." His voice held a sort of detachment, his face blank. "I think it would be best if we stayed away from each other for a while." He looked away.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we should stay away from each other Hermione. I don't know how I can be around you everyday and know that you don't want me." He started to stand.

"But, we have the same friends Ron, how can we stay from each other without staying away from Harry and Ginny?" I didn't understand how he thought this was going to work. We share a common room for Merlin's sake.

"You'll figure it out Hermione, you always do."

I watched his figure as he walked into the castle, never once looking back.

I sat under the willows, feeling dejected. Losing one of your best friends has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. When someone dies, its devastating, but you can grieve and attempt to move on. When they are still alive and walking around, it hurts because you will always see them and know that you can't do anything to change the circumstances. You have to live with the knowledge that they walked away from you. I don't know how I am going to be able to see him every day, in almost every class, every meal, and every night before bed, and know that I won't be able to be around him in the same way I always have.

Feeling at a loss, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to study in my mood, I decided to go to Hogsmeade.

The walk was a quiet affair that allowed me to put my thoughts into some, discernible order. I decided that it was okay for Ron to need space. It would give him time to work out there are bigger fish in the sea. I need to work on getting my N.E. and then work on my career before I even start to think about who I am going to spend forever with. I am almost impressed by Ron's assertions because even I can't think that far ahead.

Focusing on Hogsmeade, I decided to go to Scrivenshaft's Quill shop. I wouldn't normally spend money on just anything but there was something magical about the stationary shop. I also happened to need more supplies.

The bell tinkled as I stepped into the room. This store is different from most of its wizarding counterparts in that it was neat and ordered and clean. Most of the stores you step into in the Wizarding community were haphazard, untidy and covered in a layer of dust. It gave me a sense of peace knowing that there was at least one place in this crazy world that fits my needs and soothes my soul.

Stationary had become my obsession from a young age, starting with coloured markers and stickers, but gradually moving to gorgeous, leather-bound, gold-embossed notebooks and swan feather quills. It truly is the simplest things in life that can make you happy.

Taking a cursory look around, I tried to decide where to start exploring.

"Hello, my dear, its been a while." Came an old voice said from the back of the store.

"Hi Balb, it has, hasn't it." I smiled, sadly. Balbina Scrivenshaft was the caretaker of the store, having it handed down to her through the generations, not to mention that she was the kindest old woman I have ever met. She had helped me through many of my down periods, mostly the ones involving Ron. She stepped slowly towards me, as if she already knew what was on my mind.

"I'll put a pot on while you grab the things you need and then we can sit a talk. How does that sound, hm?" Her soft eyes twinkled in a way I hadn't seen in a couple of years. I could only nod.

I walked around, brushing my hands over the notebooks and the quill feathers, trying to reign myself in, in more ways than one. I settled on some more rolls of parchment, a green coloured inkwell, another standard quill and I splurged on a particularly pretty notebook. I stacked the items on the counter to pay for later and moved into the back of the store to see if Balb needed any help.

"Take a seat, dearie, and tell me what's on your mind." She shuffled around putting sugar, milk and treacle tarts on the small table.

"Ugh, who else could it be?" I sighed, slumping into the armchair beside the table.

"The youngest Mr Weasley, I presume?" She lifted a knowing eyebrow, sinking into the opposite armchair.

"We broke up, Balb. A little while ago too and he just can't let it go!" I didn't realised how emotional I was about it. I felt desperation edging into my consciousness. I took a deep breath, calming my emotions.

"Give him some time. You are an exceptional witch and it's going to hurt having you reject him." She coaxed gently. My eyebrows went up at her comment.

"Reject? I didn't reject him, Balb. We don't work. We…we…we can't be a we." I have never been so lost for words. Ron has always had an impact on my psyche, it's almost as if I've needed and still need his approval. Ever since that first day on the train, going to Hogwarts for the first time.

"You may not think it is rejection, but he will. And only time heals that, trust me on that one. If I know anything about the world, its that in love, nothing is rational." Her face changed and she was a world away.

"I know, its just so hard in the moment. I'll get past this as I have everything else." I was confident in that fact, my worry was for how long it was going to take this time round. "Sorry, I've been so selfish. How are you holding up?" I suddenly remembered. Balb's husband's name was on the list of those killed during the Death Eater's raid on Hogwarts.

"It gets lonely here, but there is no where else I would choose to be." She patted my hand with a sad smile.

We sipped the tea and ate the tarts, reflecting and telling stories. There was something comforting about being around a person that has lost as you have and has far more wisdom to share in terms of it. Paying for my things, I made my promises to come visit as often as I could.

The walk back gave me even more time to think. I couldn't spend any more mental energy on Ron, though. I was thoroughly drained, but my brain wouldn't stop. Looking around for inspiration, I looked up at the looming castle. So much had been destroyed but now, you couldn't tell. It had been repaired so beautifully. There was one area of the castle, though, that couldn't be repaired. The Room of Requirement. Crabbe had destroyed it and himself when he cast the fiendfyre. Surely though, such an old, magical entity couldn't be so easily destroyed? That magic has been around for far longer than most magic we know now. I wonder if there are records anywhere about it's existence? There are rumours that Rowena Ravenclaw herself created the Room of Requirement. If that is true, she would have written her notes on her process somewhere. Now, where would that be, if it is possible?


End file.
